Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz will be out at least four months following surgery to repair his broken left ankle, the team announced Monday.
Cruz had surgery Sunday night at Pittsburgh’s Allegheny General Hospital. The operation “stabilized the fractured fibula and addressed the injury to the syndesmosis,” read a statement from Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk.
Cruz, 24, was helped off the field Sunday after sustaining the injury during a play at the plate in which he collided with Chicago White Sox catcher Seby Zavala. The incident sparked a benches-clearing brawl.
“He’s a big part of what we do on both sides of the ball,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said of Cruz.
A franchise building block and the team’s primary leadoff hitter, Cruz batted .250/.375/.375 with one homer, four RBIs and three stolen bases during the Pirates’ 6-3 start to the season.
The Pirates placed Cruz on the 10-day injured list on Monday and recalled infielder Mark Mathias from Triple-A Indianapolis.
Mathias, 28, is a career .256 hitter with six homers and 24 RBIs in 46 games with the Milwaukee Brewers (2020, 2022) and Texas Rangers (2022).
–Field Level Media
